


Not Settled

by everythingmurky



Category: Broadchurch
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-26
Updated: 2017-10-26
Packaged: 2019-01-23 17:32:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12512560
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everythingmurky/pseuds/everythingmurky
Summary: Hardy asks Miller about something she said, and her reaction changes things.





	Not Settled

**Author's Note:**

> So I woke up this morning and found it strange to not have a story to work on. It was weird, as much as I thought it would be a relief. I was not relieved. I thought about doing something else, tried to get myself to finish my crossover, but I couldn't, and most of my ideas related to the dark sequel I thought of to Tourist Season that I'm trying not to let myself do.
> 
> Instead, I decided to look at an angle that story hadn't let me go in, as my Hardy/Miller shipper was very disappointed that I couldn't do much there, not even good friendship/work moments after they split to work on the two cases, and out of that came this. One doesn't have to read Tourist Season for this to make sense as it could be from almost anywhere.

* * *

“What did you mean, 'we'll deal with that when we know for sure?'”

Ellie frowned, looking up from her desk. She was going to be drowning in paperwork for days. This was not going to go away any time soon or sort itself on its own, and she would much rather be home with the boys again.

“What?”

Hardy leaned against her desk. “That day at the hospital. They held Daisy for observation, thinking she might have what I do. You said we'd deal with it when we knew for sure.”

Ellie nodded. Now that he said it, she remembered that, but she didn't know why he was asking about it now. “Well, they hadn't finished their tests yet. As I recall, they still haven't. Inconclusive. You had a good rant about that and our smug prick of a suspect.”

Hardy grunted. “He was a prick.”

“I'm still hoping for an accident in prison,” Ellie said, knowing that everyone in the case felt the same. “Why are you asking me about what I said in the hospital?”

Hardy looked uncomfortable. “You said we.”

“So?”

“Why would we be dealing with anything?” Hardy asked. “It was Daisy and me, so it would have been a case of you but you said we like you had some kind of part in it.”

“I...” Ellie tried to think back to her exact words, hoping she hadn't actually said that. “Well, there's the fact that I'm a part of your mess whether or not I want to be. I mean, you dragged me into Sandbrook and—what is it?”

“Nothing. Forget I said anything.” Hardy gestured to the files on her desk. “And get that done already. We've other things we should be doing, but you're messing about with the bloody paperwork.”

Ellie glared at his back as he went to his office. He could do his share of the paperwork, since she could almost guarantee he hadn't, but then he was probably planning on abusing the fact that they were currently without a CS.

She started in on her next stack before she swore aloud.

The others looked at her, but she ignored it, finally realizing what he'd done... and why he'd withdrawn so bloody fast.

She rose, walking over to his office and barging in without knocking. Hardy looked up from the computer. “I have a door.”

“I don't care,” she said, though she did make sure she shut it behind her, not needing everyone else to hear them.

“Miller—”

“I said we because I bloody well do care what happens to your daughter and it's not just about whatever mess you drag me into. I'd have been there for Daisy... and for you.”

Hardy frowned. He took off his glasses and rubbed his nose. “Are you now going to spout some nonsense about us being friends?”

“You are such a wanker. We passed friends a long time ago, though neither of us admits it. God, why would we?”

He stared at her. “I have no idea.”

“Fine then,” she said. “That's settled.”

“It is?”

She nodded, starting for the door again. She'd said all she needed to, since she knew he'd never bloody acknowledge her as a friend. Still, they were. She wasn't sure why they were when half the time he drove her barmy, but they were.

She heard a noise behind her, and the door shut just as she started to open it.

“How is that even close to settled?” Hardy demanded, leaning over her. “We go from 'you're a knob' to 'we're friends but won't admit it' and why the bloody hell does that make any sense?”

“Because we're both too damaged to say we need each other?”

He considered that. “Aye, maybe, but that doesn't explain why we're past friends. What does that even mean, Miller? We passed friends. So we were and we're not now or—”

“Are you being thick on purpose?” she asked, thinking maybe he was, that he was trying to get her to say it. He wanted it all spelled out, did he? Needed a bloody map? 

She muttered to herself, not sure why she had to do everything in this screwed up relationship of theirs, but if she did, the hell with it.

She was about to leave when he kissed her.

So much for settling things. That just made them a whole lot more complicated.


End file.
